| Lessons In Interviewing From Sienna Miller |
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 Sienna Miller, shown here at the 2007 BAFTA Awards in London, stars in "Interview" with Steve Buscemi  As of early August '07, "Interview" is being shown in independent theaters such as Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Houston Street  Interviewee/soap star Katya (Miller) attempts to turn the tables on journalist Pierre Peders (Buscemi) in "Interview"  Miller monkeys around on the set of "Factory Girl" in Central Park  Sienna Miller takes a moment of respite in "Interview" In any case, "Interview," the film based on the late Theo Van Gogh's Dutch film, makes an interesting, if flawed, examination of a faded political journalist torn between doing work that pays--fatuous celebrity interviews--and the serious work he loves. For Pierre Peders (Steve Buscemi, who also directs), talking to someone like world-famous soap star Katya (Miller) really isn't worth the time and energy given the paucity of her talent. When circumstances bring the two together in Katya's expansive loft, the film offers an ambiguous look at the relationship between media and celebrity. Winning some recognition for her parts in "Layer Cake" and "Alfie," the American-born, English-raised Miller really got her acting career underway with a lead in "Casanova," but it was her aborted engagement to the errant Jude Law that made her to a gossip mag darling. Even with her excellent work in this year's release "Factory Girl," Miller has had an uphill battle being recognized as an actress and not just a celebrity. sonyclassics.com/interview Q: Did you like the idea of playing this character in the context of celebrities? Sienna Miller: Yeah. I think it's an interesting subject, and I'm privy to a lot of unwanted tabloid attention. It's an interesting social study more than anything--the [lengths] that these two will go to level one another--so it's a small dig at certain tabloid journalists. I say that in hindsight. At the time I didn't make any parallels to my own life, I saw a character that I wanted to create. I'm very different from that character, thank God. But I know people who aren't that different, so I hung out with them and watched them. My agent [would say] “why would you hang out with these people?” and I was like, "never you mind." Q: Have you ever had an interview that went really badly? SM: Yeah, absolutely. [There are] people who deliberately don't take me seriously in any way and believe what they read in the tabloids. I don't read them, so I don't know, but I imagine they're horrendous--and therefore they come in and there's no respect or dignity--and you sense that energy when people aren't kind. Q: They don't want to talk about the movie? SM: They just want to know is this true, is that true, where'd you get that top? Stuff that I really don't think about--and the amount of people I've supposedly slept with, regardless of the fact that I've been in back-to-back relationships since I was 19. That's the perception that the tabloids want to create about me, and it absolutely couldn't be farther away from who I really am. But I trust everyone--this is where I mess up with the journalists. When I'm being interviewed, I want to sit down and have a real conversation, otherwise, what's the point? I'm not going to go in and pretend to be like, "oh yeah, I'm a real person." I like to have a real connection. I’m being really friendly to them, but then half end up screwing me over. Q: People come in with these presumptions and they don't give you a chance to say who you are. They just take you at face value. SM: Absolutely. People will come up to me and go “you're actually quite nice.” It's very frustrating, so now I don't read it because you you can't control it. At the end of the day, all I can do is try and do good, interesting work and do my best. I am not late for work; I've never missed a day's work, and that's what counts. I refuse to conform. I don't want to go in and be "the actress" because it's boring for you and it's boring for me. I am who I am, I'm not afraid to be who I am. I work very hard and what I do with my spare time is up to me. I'm not going to change because of what I do. I'd be miserable if I'm not going to be myself. Q: So what was it that sold you on doing this movie? SM: It was really cool. I got a call from my agent saying that Steve Buscemi had gotten in touch with him and was doing a film, directing and acting in it, so would I be interested in reading the script. And I said "I'll do it, I don't need to see the script, because I figured if it was good enough for Steve Buscemi, it was good enough for me." They said, “You should read the script,” and I said, “No, I'm doing it.” I spoke to Steve and he said come and read the script. And I was like, "I'll come and make the tea on the set, let alone act with you." So it was a no-brainer. Then I read the script and, thankfully, I loved it. I loved the character, loved the dynamic between the two people, and it's very European. It was a really interesting project. So I really loved the film. It's the first film I’ve done that I actually loved. Q: Did you make the tea? SM: I did. I am a good tea lady on the movie set.
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